Sealed ball valve



I United States Patent 1 1 3,549,122

[72] lnventor William J- Graham [56] References Cited N 2 :32: UNlTED STATES PATENTS Q95}- 24 1968 2,599,774 6/1952 Ohls 251/172 45] Pat med Dec 22l97o 2,942,840 6/1960 Clade 251/315X A n e Tex'acolnc 3,185,489 5/1965 Lohr 251/315X C New York Y 3,323,542 6/1967 Magosetal..... 251/315x p 3,397,861 8/1968 Scaramucci 251/175 Primary Examiner-M. Cary Nelson Assistant Examiner-Michael O. Sturm SEALED BALL VALVE Attorneys-K. E. Kavanagh and Thomas H. Whaley 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] us m 251/174 ABSTRACT: A ball valve wherein a rotatable ball controls the 251/175 251/3 5 rate of fluid flow therethrough and is engaged by a sealing [51] [at 1 6 5/20 means which includes annular members of difierent materials 50 Field of Search 251/315, and rigidity adjacemly Spaced to each other and engaging the 317,175,172,174 ball- SEALED BALL VALVE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains generally to a ball valve and more specifically to a sealing means therefor.

seal also remaining effective during shock loads and when the system pressure is reduced. This is particularly true if the fluid in the system is of a corrosive nature and leakage through the valve would prove hazardousvarious sealing means exist in the prior art, and more or less generally satisfy the aforementioned requirements. However, most prior art seals that satisfy the sealing requirements under the different operating conditions, require high torques to rotate the valve. This higher operative torque adds to the cost of thevalve since a larger operator is necessary to provide the higher torque. To eliminate this problem, a novel sealing means has been developed to reduce the friction between the sealing means and the rotatable ball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION invention in general provides a sealing means engaging a'ball having a fluid conduit therethrough, and more particula'i'ly' to a sealing means wherein'adjacently spaced members are .of different materials to provide effective sealing and reduce the amount of friction between the ball and the sealing 'fnieans.

The principal advantage made possible by the use of this invention over those disclosed in the prior art is that effective 7 sealing is accomplished without the concomitant high torque necessary to operate the valve. vWhen the prior art valve is in the closed position and the upstream pressure is high, the ball is forced toward the opposing opening in the valve body and becomes deformed therein. This deformation of the ball adds to the already high friction between the normally metal ball and the normally metal sealing means, and further increases 'the amount of torque required to operate the valve. The sealing means provided herein practically eliminates the deformation of the spherical plug or ball, since the seal allows expansion andi compression therein. Further, the friction normally required to operate the valve is reduced by having alternate adjacentlyyspaced members of a low friction type material.

Accordingly, it is an overall object of this invention to pro- ,videa ball valve with an effective sealing means therefor. .Another object of this invention is to provide a ball valve capable of being operated with a low torque.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become. more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING i: DEs CRlPTlON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the drawings, the ball valve, indicated generally at 10, comprises a two-piece casing, 11 and 12, secured together and defining therebetween a valve chamber '13. ;A ball 14, with a fluid conduit '15 therethrough, is rotatably alignable with ,the fluid conduit 16 in the main body 10, and is disposed in the valve chamber 13. A bonnet 17, is secured to the casing 11, and provides a support member for the valve stem 18. The ball 14 contains a recess 19 into which the stem 18 is engaged to provide a means for rotating the ball and control the rate of fluid through the valve 10. The ball 14 of identical construction and disposed to face each other. A retaining member 22 and 23,is,spaced.adjacent each sealing member 20 and 21, and provides a means for positioning the sealing members in the valve chamber-13. 7

Referring to FIG. 2, the sealing memberlfl is positioned in orthogonal relation to the fluid conduit ;,1 5 irr the ,ball 14. The sealing member 20 comprises an annular. member 24, containing a plurality of annular grooves therein. Disposed in each of these annular grooves are annular discsindicated at 25, 26 27 and 28. Alternatively, the sealing member'20nmay comprise a plurality of annular discs of different materials adjacently spaced. The annular member 24 is preferably. made of tetrafluoroethylene resin, such as the plastic-"material sold by DuPont Company under the trademark Teflon. This material maintains numerous advantages, including self lubrication and resistance to corrosives, but materials other'than this preferred material may be employed. The annular discs 25, 26, 27 and 28 are preferably of a metallic material being more rigid than that of the annular member 24. The annular discs 25, 26, 27 and 28 are shown in detail in FIG. 4 wherein it is indicated that the disc may be split at 29 to allow expansion and compression thereof when the load of the ball 14 is imposed thereon. The annular discs 25, 26, 27 and 28 are arranged with the split portion of each member spaced apart from the splitportion on the adjacent member, although other spacings may be utilized. Advantages may also be found by interchanging the-materials of the annular member 24 and that of the annular discs 25, 26, 27 and 28, i.e., having the annular member 24 fabricated from a metallic material whereas the annular discs 25, 26, 27 and 28 may alternatively be fabricated from a tetrafluoroethylene resin.

Preferably, the inner diameters of the annular discs 25, 26, 27 and 28, and the annular member 24, are contoured to the shape of the ball l4. It may also be found desirable to have the annular discs 25, 26, 27 and 28 extend slightly beyond that of the annular member 24 and thereby provide a means for sealing under low pressure. As the upstream fluid pressure is increased, the annular discs compress and deform into the slots they are embedded in, thereby allowing the less rigid material, i.e., the tetrafluoroethylene resin, to also engage the ball 14. In this manner, at least 50 percent of the contact area between the sealing member 20 and the ball 14 is that of the low friction material. The ball 14 may then be rotated by means of the stem 18 with a lower torque, since the friction between the two members has been reduced greatly. Furthermore, deformation of the ball is reduced also since the initial deformation occurs in the annular discs because of the expansion/compression slots 29 contained therein.

Referring to FIG. 3, an alternate construction of the sealing member is depicted. The sealing member 20 comprises a plurality of tubular like rings 25a, 26a, 27a and 28a having the walls thereof parallel to the fluid conduct and embedded in the annular sealing member 24a. The sealing member is again positioned in orthogonal relation to the fluid conduit 16 through the main body of the valve 10. Again expansion slots may be provided in the tubular rings 25a, 26a, 27a and 28a to allow for compressibility thereof as the upstream pressure is increased.

Other modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. A ball valve comprising, in combination, a main body having a fluid conduit therein, a ball mounted in said main body and having a fluid conduit therethrough, means for rotating said ball thereby controlling the rate of fluid flow through said valve, and a sealing means positioned in said main body and engaging said ball, said sealing means including a pair of annular members and a third annular member interposed therebetween, said third annular'member being of a different rigidity than that of said pair of annular members in juxtaposition therewith, the surface of said sealing means engaging said ball being shaped to the contour of said ball, said pair of annular members having a disclike configuration with the inner diameters thereof contoured to the shape of said ball, and said third annular member being a split disc.

2. A ball valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said annular members are of a tubular eonfiguartion having one surface thereof shaped to the contour of said ball, and said third annular member is a split tubular member.

3. A ball valve comprising in combination, a main body having a fluid conduit therein, a ball mounted in said main body and having a fluid conduit therethrough, means for rotating said ball thereby controlling the rate of fluid flow through said valve, and a sealing means positioned in said main body having one surface thereof engaging said ball, said sealing means ineluding a first annular member having an annular groove on said surface engaging said ball, and a second annular member embedded in said annular groove, said second annular member being of a greater rigidity than that of said first annular member and extending beyond said first annular member on said surface engaging said ball.

4. A ball valve as defined in claim 3 wherein said annular member embedded in said groove is a split disc having the inner diameter thereof contoured to the shape of said ball.

5. A ball valve as defined in claim 3 wherein said annular member embedded in said groove is of a tubular configuration having one side thereof shaped to the contour of said ball and is split to permit greater compressibility thereof. 

